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"Allen, you're my flesh and blood. You know that I'd die for you without hesitation, right?"

"Sure, Dad. You've always been there for me. There's no question about that."

"And, Brenda, as my son's wife, you know that I love you as well, don't you, and that I would die for you too if need be without even blinking?" I asked her.

"Of course Dad. And that love goes both ways. All four of us love you just as much. Each one of us would willingly sacrifice our lives to save yours or Mom's. That's why we're here because we all love both of you so much," she assured.

"I'm so glad to hear you say that, Brenda. I believe you. That's why it makes it much easier to ask this next question of the two of you. As you know, I'm not getting any younger. And as a result of your mother's actions, I have thought a lot about bucket lists, even one of my own. So, Allen, would you be willing to give Brenda to me for a weekend to fulfill a bucket list item of mine? I believe that if she and I spent a weekend together as your mother and Bob did, then that would convince me that you two believe what you're saying to me and are willing to back up your words with action. If you do that, then perhaps I could see my way clear to forgive your mother."

"WHAT? Are you crazy?" Allen exclaimed. Brenda blushed a bright red at the idea of the intimate invitation. "There's no way in hell I'd ever agree to that, Dad, not even if you were dying. I realize that my wife is not your blood kin, but that would still be incest in my book. I can't believe that you'd even suggest such a thing!" He raved.

"Oh, you mean like UNCLE Bob and your Mom? THAT kind of thing?" I posed.

What had been said percolated through four minds at once. I let it simmer for a moment before speaking again.

"Brenda, I owe you and my son an apology. I would NEVER ask such a thing of you, not even if I was dying. I asked that just now to make a point. Allen, you said you wouldn't agree to it even if I was dying. Neither did I. It is easier for the four of you to forgive your Mom because you aren't married to her. But think of this, Allen, if Brenda had gone with me and returned to you, would you ever look at her the same again? Could you so easily forgive her as you're asking of me to forgive your mother?"

There was total silence in the room for over a minute as the two couples considered the rationality of my logic. Without a word, Allen nodded his head at Edward and they shook hands. Then Elise hugged Brenda. I was unsure what was happening but I hoped against hope it wouldn't be another attack. Allen again addressed me.

"Dad, you're right. Thanks for still being a good father and teaching the four of us another important life lesson. We were only seeing this from Mom's perspective. We hadn't considered it from all angles and you just opened our eyes. Thank you. That being said, we don't love Mom any less and we still want her to be happy to her dying day. Yet we realize that she gave up the right to ask that of you when she did what she did. We understand also how you feel about Uncle Bob and Aunt Teresa, and quite frankly, we agree with your feelings wholeheartedly, at least about Uncle Bob. We're not taking sides on this, Dad. We're being neutral. We love you both equally but we won't press you about Mom again. You have our word on that. And Mom will just have to accept that she can't have everything she wants. We'll still be there for her in every way we can, but we won't support her quest to force you to forgive her by using us as her pawns."

"I swear, if I was wearing a shirt with buttons, every one of them would pop off right now because of how proud I am of all four of you. I couldn't ask for anything more. Thank you for your understanding. I never advocated any of you turning your back on your mother for an instant. She's going to lean heavily on you guys when it gets toward the end and I know you'll be there for her when she needs you the most." I hugged all four of them in turn. I was so relieved at how things turned out. It could have gone a lot worse.

The rest of the evening went splendidly. Glenda seemed euphoric at my positive attitude upon her return from the store. The kids cooked the burgers and hot dogs to perfection and the soft-serve strawberry ice cream for dessert was delicious. There was no time for her to have a conversation with them as I was always around. After the cleanup, hugs, and kisses, Glenda zoned in on having a post-visit conversation with me.

"You seem to be in a good mood, Hank. It is wonderful to see you smile as much as you have this afternoon and evening."

"The kids always cheer me up every time they visit. How could I not smile with them around?"

"A little birdie told me they were going to have a conversation with you while I was at the store. Well, the kids certainly didn't seem to be angry with you, so can I surmise that the conversation went well and they were able to persuade you to see things my way?"

"Your way? When they talked to me, they said they loved us both equally and that they weren't taking sides with either of us. That seemed very fair to me. You and I did a great job raising those kids, didn't we?"

"For some reason, my birdie led me to believe that you would either be pulled to my side of viewing things or be left out alone in the cold."

"I don't know anything about that, Glenda. You might want to check with your birdie again. Meanwhile, I'm going to get a shower and change. It's been a busy day for us both." I left her puzzling as I headed to take a shower. I knew she'd be in touch with Elise while I was getting cleaned up. I wonder what HER attitude would be subsequent to their talk.

"You're just being a stubborn asshole who can't get over his fragile ego!" Glenda lobbed her remark as I walked into the den."

"Well, I suppose it's a good thing that you learned that about me now before wasting what's left of your life hanging around this fragile ego asshole." I touted. "I'm sure that piece of shit friend of yours will exceed all of your expectations in a man since I'm obviously unworthy of you."

She ignored my barb and continued her assault, "Really? You asked Brenda to have sex with you?"

"You might want to confirm the facts with your birdie before making things worse. I simply took advantage of a teachable moment. After the kids heard my perspective, that's when they told me they were being neutral. I have never, nor will I ever, be intimate with Brenda. I suggest you ask Brenda for confirmation since you doubt my word."

She was throwing a fit because using the kids as weapons didn't go the way she had planned. I'm sure Elise filled her in accurately on the facts about our little encounter. She was just trying to get a rise out of me. I sat down and began flipping through the channels. She stormed off to her bedroom and slammed the door. With any luck, she would remain there the rest of the night.

Another week passed of our Mexican standoff. I could tell that she was becoming more frustrated every day at my recalcitrance but we coexisted somewhat peaceably in the house. We still had no meals together. I still washed all of my own clothes and dishes whenever I made anything for myself. She went out the following Saturday night and didn't return until 11 pm. I figured that she had visited the assholes, but she never mentioned them nor did I inquire. I think my lack of interest pissed her off more.

On the next Monday morning, the big boss, Grayland Zekadlow, was waiting for me in my office. He was president of the company, but he and I seldom ever crossed paths. Dennis was my immediate supervisor and even he admitted not having access to the big boss.

"Good morning, sir. To what do I owe the pleasure?" I asked as obsequiously as possible.

"It's Hank, right? Hank Greenlee?"

"Yes, sir, at your service."

"Hank, I've heard good things about you through the grapevine. Dennis speaks highly of the caliber of your work through his boss who reports to me. I try to keep my finger on the pulse of the company, and I just wanted you to know that you're a valued employee."

"Why, thank you, sir. Hearing that means a lot, especially coming from the top."

"Yes, yes, but I have another matter to discuss with you."

"Of course, sir. Please go ahead."

"Hank, do you know Bryan McFadden?"

"I know 'a' Bryan McFadden, sir. That's the same name as my wife's father."

"Right, well, you're correct about the connection. Your father-in-law happens to be my golf partner nearly every weekend. We've known each other for years. He keeps me on my toes on the golf course. He never let on that you were his son-in-law and worked here until recently. He said he wanted you to succeed on your own merit, and you have. I respect that about both of you. However, Bryan has brought something to my attention that I thought was worth talking to you about. He said that you and his daughter were going through a spat of some kind. He said also that his daughter has incurable cancer and wouldn't be long for this world. Is that correct?"

"Yes, sir, it is, but," He interrupted me.

"As a father, Bryan only wants his daughter to be as happy as she could possibly be during these last weeks of her life. As a father yourself, I'm sure you can appreciate his sentiment. Anyway, he asked me to check in with you and see how you were doing. Sometimes men have to eat a little crow with their wives from time to time. It happens to all of us. I'm sure that you're the kind of man that takes good care of his wife. I sure would hate to hear again from Bryan that you haven't stepped up to the plate with your duties at home. You realize that performance evaluations involve a person's character as much as their job skills, don't you?"

I was stunned. My father-in-law was throwing me under the bus for his daughter. I guess I couldn't blame him, but neither can I abide bullying or blackmail in my workplace. I didn't want to upset my CEO any further, so I responded.

"Of course, sir. Thank you for bringing this to my attention. I'll take care of it," I offered.

"See that you do, son. I don't want to have this conversation with you a second time."

"I assure you, sir. After today, you will not have any reason or need to follow up. Thank you for your timely advice."

My boss, Grayland Zekadlow left my small office very pleased with himself that he had solved his good friend's problem by taking the bull by the horns. After he was out of sight and headed to the elevator toward his office, I typed up my formal resignation on my office computer, effective immediately, and printed it out. I gathered up all of my personal belongings which easily fit in a small cardboard box, and took it to my car. Next, I swung by human resources, handed them my resignation, confirmed it in person, turned in my ID badge, and left my office building for the last time. While this tactic solved two problems, isolating me from the piece of shit ex-friend, and eliminating my father-in-law's influence to correct my behavior toward his daughter, it created another. I was now among the ranks of the unemployed. What's more, I would be unable to utilize my former employer for a reference by not working a notice. It appeared as though I would have plenty of time to plan my next steps.

Since it was still early in the day, I drove home and spent the day working on projects around the house. Glenda arrived home after a day at work at her usual time.

"You beat me home today. How did that happen, sweetheart?"

I gave her my usual look of disdain for utilizing a term of endearment. "Well, if you must know, I quit my job today."

"You WHAT?!" She exclaimed.

"Yeah, it seems your Dad had it in for me, so I was left with no other choice," I calmly asserted.

"My Dad? How on earth are you suggesting that my Dad made you quit your job?"

"Since you asked, I learned today that your Dad regularly golfs with the CEO of my company, Grayland Zekadlow. As it turns out, Mr. Zekadlow was in my office first thing this morning venting to me that your Dad has been complaining to him on the golf course that he doesn't appreciate the way I've been treating you, given your tenuous situation. Mr. Zekadlow made it clear, that unless I fixed things at home with you to your Dad's satisfaction that my future employment could be in jeopardy. He threatened me with negative performance evaluations which would affect my ability to climb the ladder there, or even be demoted. As you know, I don't take threats kindly. Even if I became your dream husband again, the damage is already done. I've been cast in a negative light by the CEO of our firm. There's no chance for me to come back from that. So I resigned my position and here I am."

"How dare you blame my Dad for you losing your job! You're a quitter, Hank. Why don't you just admit it? You quit on me, quit on our marriage, and you've quit your job. And now you want to blame my Dad for your failures? He's a better man than you'll ever be," she fumed.

"I see. My mistake. I apologize for telling you the truth. Don't worry, I won't make that mistake again. Let me see. Since I didn't quit my job because of anything your Dad said to my boss, then how about this as a reason? My big toe hurt today, so I quit. How about that? Is that a better reason in your eyes?"

"You asshole. Why do you have to be so stubborn about everything? Why can't you forgive me and let us get on with our normal happy lives again before it's too late?

"Why on earth do you want to be with an unforgiving stubborn asshole like me? It makes no sense. In your eyes, that piece of shit ex-friend is a much better man than I'll ever be. Why don't you move in with them and enjoy the remaining time you have left? He was the last one you had blissful sex with. I bet he would volunteer to ring your bell some more. Why hang around here with me if I'm such a loser?"

"Because I love you and only you, Hank. Regardless of everything that's been said or done, you're the only man I have ever truly loved. You're just too blind to see it," she stated frustratingly.

We were both trapped, she in her professed love for me, and me in my stubborn refusal to accept her infidelity. We remained at an impasse.

"I'm going to get something to eat. I'll be back after a while. Why don't you call your Dad while I'm gone and see if he can get somebody to beat me up for you?" I said dripping with sarcasm.

I thought she was out of tears. I was wrong. I left the house alone to evade more drama and have a peaceful meal out. Evidently, she did call her father while I was out and she was waiting for me to return.

"I'm sorry, Hank. I had no idea my father would use his friendship with your boss to try to blackmail or bully you. As much as I love my Dad and appreciate what he was trying to do, messing with someone's career isn't right. His heart was in the right place. I take full responsibility because I hadn't told him the whole truth about my part in our problems."

"I figured as much. Look, I understand why your Dad would try to use whatever influence he had at his disposal to help you. You know I'd do anything in my power to help our kids. I get that. But I thought he was a better man than that. Now I learn that he didn't have all the facts."

"Well, I'm going to fix that if I can and Dad's going to help me unless he never wants to see me again." She informed.

"What do you mean, Glenda? How can you fix anything about my career?"

"I've made a decision. Tomorrow morning, I'm turning in my resignation from my job. I don't need to work a notice because I won't need another job again anyway. Dad and I are going to put our heads together with yours to help you find a better job than the one you had. It's our fault that you were put in an untenable position, so it falls to us to make it right. Daddy knows a lot of people besides your boss. He'll put his networking feelers out, and so will I. We're going to do our best to find the perfect job for you and make this right. Is that okay?"

"This is a surprise. I was expecting another attack but this? This is unexpected. I have no idea what my options are, but I'm happy to accept help from you both. Thank you."

"I twisted daddy's arm and he's using up a vacation week and taking this upcoming week off work to help us. I'm either going to find you another job or die trying," she joked.

True to his word, Bryan was at our house bright and early the next morning. He rode with Glenda to work as she resigned from her job. She had planned on resigning within a few weeks anyway and was relieved to miss the 'sorry you're dying going away party' they would have held for her when she left.

When they returned, our house became job central. That week, all three of us were constantly on the phone with all known business acquaintances and connections. Getting and setting up interviews was easy, but we wanted every interview I went on to be a solid qualified interview with real substance and not just a pie-in-the-sky longshot. The economy was shrinking at the time and well-paying job opportunities were as scarce as hen's teeth. I must have gone on a dozen interviews that week, as they kept up the pressure to assist me in finding the right fit. I'd never seen Glenda more dedicated to a task before. She had a fierce determination to honor her word to me that was unlike anything she'd ever demonstrated before.

Productive assistance came from the most unlikely source. Bryan swallowed his pride and contacted Grayland Zekadlow, explaining that he'd misunderstood his daughter's dilemma and jumped the gun to put pressure on me. He apologized for his part in costing Bryan a valued employee, explaining that my return to my old job was not an option. Grayland lamented losing me and chewed his golf partner a new asshole for jumping to conclusions. In the next breath, he asked for an hour to make a few phone calls to see what he could do on my behalf.

We were shocked to receive a call from Wellington Enterprises, Inc. forty-five minutes later. They were in need of a new purchasing manager. They are a custom manufacturer that brings new inventors' products to life. Investors back the inventor's new product ideas, and Wellington brings the product to life. Creating custom manufacturing for a variety of products is no easy task but they've carved out a niche for themselves. We were told that most of the products failed to catch on with the public, but the ones that did, made all of the other attempts worthwhile. When I interviewed with them the next day, it almost seemed as if my presence was a mere formality. The past three purchasing managers were eventually exposed for kickbacks and/or embezzlement. It seems that the two qualities they were seeking for this position were honesty and integrity. The glowing reference of Grayland Zekadlow apparently carried a lot of weight with them. My starting salary would be at a thirty-five premium over my previous salary under Mr. Zekadlow. He was truly a stand-up guy. I would start my new career in three weeks after they completed some house cleaning of infected personnel.

I humbly thanked Bryan and Glenda for their support and help in snagging this golden opportunity. They both relayed that it was the least they could do given their complicity costing me my previous job. Bryan and I were back to where we were before. We had a good relationship. He appreciated that before her 'weekend', I had always been a great husband to his daughter. He also asserted that many men would have abandoned their wives under similar circumstances. This would have left Glenda without the help of a partner to get through her final days. He teared up as he shook my hand firmly, relaying his regained respect for the man he knows me to be.

It was as if Glenda had been tenaciously holding on to see me through securing my new job. The next day, she collapsed in pain and she became severely jaundiced. I rushed her to the hospital where they advised us that this was the normal expected progression of the cancer. Her oncologist sent her home with a barrage of meds including pain meds to mitigate her symptoms and manage her discomfort. When word got out, she had many visitors who, it seemed, wanted to pay their last visits to her while they could. I accommodated them all as best I could and tried to arrange the scheduling of such visits in an orderly fashion, rather than have a large group all at once.